The first day with Orgeron a bit sweeter for USC

Ed Ogeron, hands on knees, put USC through it's first practice Wednesday since he was chosen interim coach on Sunday. DAMIAN DOVARGANES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES – In his initial days on the job, interim Coach Ed Orgeron made a dramatic change to the USC football program, one that had players buzzing after practice Wednesday.

“We got desserts back at dinner,” tailback Tre Madden said with a wide grin. “Much better.”

Under health-conscious former coach Lane Kiffin, USC had largely eliminated treats at team meals, but one of Orgeron’s first moves was to change the menu.

It had a deeper meaning, beyond just satisfying a player’s sweet tooth.

“It’s a change. I wanted to have a change,” Orgeron said. “If we would have kept on doing the same thing, then nothing changes. It’s one of those things. You feed a lineman a cookie, he’s happy.”

Orgeron ran his first practice since being named Lane Kiffin’s short-term replacement after Kiffin’s Sunday firing. Orgeron, known for his loud, growling voice and boundless energy, not surprisingly led an up-tempo two-hour practice, one that players praised for its pace, intensity and efficiency.

“It’s nice to smell some grass, hit some people and not talk about coaches,” center Marcus Martin said.

In contrast to the more stoic Kiffin, Orgeron was an audible and visual presence on the practice field. He even got slightly bloodied, apparently by a player’s errant cleat. Orgeron, still USC’s defensive-line coach, spent significant time with that unit but also roamed from drill to drill.

“They’re just two different types of people,” Madden said. “Kiffin is a little more strict, a little more stringent. Coach O is more loose.”

This is a bye week for the Trojans (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12), who don’t play until next Thursday against Arizona. They are scheduled to practice again Thursday and Friday.

Even though Orgeron isn’t shy about his loud constructive criticism, players left practice smiling. They particularly liked an early-practice, one-on-one tackling drill that left them whooping and cheering. Even offensive players didn’t mind the defensive-minded Orgeron critiquing them.

“I’d rather have someone yell at me and get on me for a little mistake than just let it go by,” quarterback Cody Kessler said. “I want to be competitive, and Coach O shows that in everything we do.”

INJURY REPORT

Orgeron confirmed that receiver Marqise Lee has a sprained knee, and Lee’s status for next week is not yet known. Lee, injured Saturday at Arizona State, did not attend practice Wednesday.

“Marqise Lee makes some miraculous recoveries,” Orgeron said. “We’re going to work hard to get him ready for next week.”

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